Tsahaylu
by wolf's paradise
Summary: It was strange at first. I mean, after about a month, you get used to Tsahaylu, but I meant the voices. I always heard them in the back of my mind. I smiled and gazed at the great bird, letting my hand slide over the leathery skin.


**A/N:** So, this was just something that I wrote quickly in about one afternoon. I kind of wanted to explore the bond between Na'vi and their animals, so I thought of a tiny plot that could make it work. It's not a big one, really, but still good enough, I guess. I love Avatar, but there wasn't anything I really wanted to add to the movie. I just thought exploring this aspect of the movie would be cool. Yes, the title sucks, but I really had no idea what in the world to call it.

I know I'm known as an author that writes mostly for _Naruto_, but by writing this and my first Harry Potter story, I wanted to test myself as well as show my readers that I can write other genres besides the one for which I am known. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Tsahaylu

It was strange at first. I mean, after about a month, you get used to _Tsahaylu_, but I meant the voices. I always heard them in the back of my mind. They weren't nagging voices, but I could hear them, ready for when I might send the signal for them to come. It wasn't anything like telepathy, but more that they were now a part of me. But most of all, I could almost _feel_ his yearning.

_Toruk Makto_ had served his purpose – he had brought peace to all Na'vi people. And I had set _Toruk_ free. Only now, it seemed he didn't want to be free.

I wondered about that. It seemed that _Toruk_ had never forgotten the one that had tamed him; in that fact, he was like Tommy, my faithful companion and best friend. Pets had never been something that I had particularly wanted as a kid, but having _Toruk_, Tommy, my _Ikran_, and Ahlay, my _Pa'li_, was different than a dog or a cat. I was _bonded_ with _Toruk_ and Tommy, and while _Pa'li_ did not have a lasting bond like the _Ikran_, I was still bonded with Ahlay, and she with me. And yet, though Tommy remained my favorite (whether he knew or not I wasn't sure), I never had such a thrill of flying as when I was riding _Toruk_.

So, I stood away from the village, waiting, wondering if he'd come. It was midday, and night wouldn't be upon Pandora for quite a few more hours. And just below the sun, _Toruk_ flew, his shadow gracing the vegetation and his wings beating the air around my face as he came to land a few feet away. A small cry screeched out of his throat as he bent his proud head to allow my hand to graze his tough, red and black skin.

I gazed into his four eyes, watching them shift. My mind linked with his, and I felt his thoughts mingling with mine. I didn't mind lingering on the ground a little longer, and as he gave another small cry, I could feel his eagerness to be off vibrating within me. But I realized his reasons for this meeting. I had often wondered exactly how old _Toruk_ had been when I had first ridden him, and I had my answer. Now, he wanted one last ride. He knew his time was coming to a close, and he wanted one more ride with his one and only master.

_Toruk_ raised his head, his enormous, sharp wing claws beating the ground as his mouth opened in a screech of frustration. I turned my head, and smiled at the woman walking toward me. She smiled in return, gazing at _Toruk_.

_Quiet_, I instructed. _She's not a threat._

She reached out, touching _Toruk_ briefly. He shuddered under her touch, and she glanced at him, her smile lingering as her hand fell away and she looked at me again. She stepped closer, her hands grazing my arms.

"_I thought Toruk was free?"_ she questioned.

I smiled and gazed at the great bird, letting my hand slide over the leathery skin. He shuddered, but this time I knew it was because of his excitement. I was his only master, and therefore the only one by which he wanted to be touched. I turned back to Neytiri and shrugged.

"_He wanted one last ride with the one that tamed him."_

"_Last? Oh… Jake…"_ She searched my eyes, and placed a hand on my face. I closed my eyes, marveling in the touch of her skin on mine. In the five and a half years since the end of the Time of Great Sorrow, I had truly realized how much of an amazing woman she was.

Neytiri nodded, her eyes determined and yet loving at the same time. _"He served well, Jake. He helped you to save my People."_ She gave a small smile. _"Our People."_

I nodded. These were my People now, too; I had become an Omaticayan, and I was living here, in Pandora, until I died. _Toruk_ squealed irritably, and both Neytiri and I smiled. _"I'd better go."_

She let me. "Jake?" she asked as I mounted _Toruk_. I paused, surprised at her choice of speaking in English, and I silently questioned her reason for it. It came just a moment later when a shy but definitely happy smile graced her features. "Remember?"

I laughed, shaking my head, but my smile matched hers in a different way. "Yeah," I said, and, when given the command, _Toruk_ pushed off of the ground, spreading his wings as he took me further into the sky. The exhilaration of flying took hold of me, and I couldn't help but soar with _Toruk_ at his elation of the open spaces of Pandora's sky. I laughed at the amazing feeling of flying, and he laughed along with me.

We had traveled so far, so quickly, that when I glanced back, Neytiri was just a speck on the ground. I scoffed. I should have known her reasons for speaking to me in English. It was always the same. She always asked me if I remembered, and she was speaking of the times when I had learned the ways of the _Na'vi_, and how she and I had unexpectedly fallen in love. She wanted me to remember my "rebirth" as an Omaticaya, and the night that had followed it.

Neytiri was a clever one, so I moved my thoughts toward my lost brother. As had been arranged prior to my arrival, Tsu'tey had been appointed clan leader. I sometimes wondered if he would still be clan leader if I hadn't linked with _Toruk_ and he had lived. No doubt he wouldn't have let me near the clan; _Toruk_ had been the only means of helping Grace and gathering the clans to fight the other side.

And what of Neytiri? Jealousy coated my insides, as it often did when I thought of this. The _Na'vi_ mated for life, yet Tsu'tey and Neytiri had been a match ever since they'd been born. I always wondered if Neytiri would have taken Tsu'tey, or if she would have refused to take another mate.

I desperately hoped it was the latter. I only wished it was something certain, like it was for _Ikran_. They bonded with a single hunter for life, and they mated for life as well. If their mate died, they lived on, but simply refused to take on another mate. Their faithfulness and loyalty seemed unending.

A smile played on my lips. Tommy had been spending a lot of time in the Halleluiah Mountains (as Norm continuously called them) where I had first bonded with him. He was never far away, but I knew he had a certain female _Ikran_ that he wanted to see.

But I didn't mind. Tommy was more than just my best friend and means of transportation. He was a reminder as well. I hadn't named him Tommy for nothing. He was a reminder of my brother. I still missed my brother, but I couldn't help but be glad he was dead at the same time. If Tommy hadn't died, I would have never come to Pandora. I would have never known Neytiri, and she would have never taught me how to become one of the People.

My stomach clenched at the thought. I'd probably still be on Earth, a dying world, as an ex-marine with no chance of getting his legs back. Tommy would be the one here, learning about the sciences behind Pandora's vegetation, but what would have happened to the _Na'vi_? Would they have gone to war with no knowledge of how to defeat the intruders? The only thing I was sure of was that there wouldn't have been another _Toruk Makto_ in my place. Seemed like _Toruk_ was really picky about who he let on his back.

_Toruk_ shrieked, and I could feel his thoughts. "Hey, hey. Easy, boy," I muttered. "I'm all right." Of course, didn't help that _Toruk_ could sense my moods; it always dropped whenever I thought of what would have happened to the _Na'vi_ and Neytiri if I had never come to Pandora.

And of course, my mind always jumped to the worst scenario (in my mind, at least), but probably the truest. Tsu'tey would have taken Neytiri as his wife. He would be the one with her, touching her, mating with her.

I shook my head. Tsu'tey was my brother, and a great warrior. Jealousy would not honor his memory.

_Toruk_ gave another cry. To take my mind away, I searched his memories. I had forbidden myself to do scan his memories when I had first ridden him. I hadn't wanted to get too attached to him. My _Ikran_ was enough for me. But this time, I allowed myself the full bond between me and _Toruk_.

It was hard to believe how much he had seen, the fights he had been in. It was like the images and memories flashed into my mind like a computer downloading images from a drive. I could almost feel the effort and exertion _Toruk_ had put into his hunts and fights. There was one in particular that stood out in his mind, and I barely saw a talon flash by, effectively giving _Toruk_ the scar he had along the right side of his neck.

More information was shoved into my brain, and I saw another one like _Toruk_, but this one was different. It was smaller, not by much, but enough to tell the difference. Its blue crest on the top and bottom of its head were smaller, too, and its head seemed more streamlined, more refined. I blinked, and my mouth quirked.

"Way to go," I muttered, and _Toruk_ cried out. That was apparently his mate, one that he had had a long time ago. _Toruk_ had lived so long – close to fifty years. I patted his neck, my respect and appreciation for him growing. _Toruk_ had to have been strong even in age to have helped me so much during the war.

We flew up, passing _Iknimaya_. I spotted a few _Pa'li_ at the base of the path and smiled. At least three warriors were getting ready to choose their own _Ikran_. I leaned closer to _Toruk_'s neck. _Faster,_ I urged.

His wings beat quickly, taking me almost straight up. Mist spread over our bodies as we flew underneath a disappearing waterfall. I could hear a few _Ikran_, shrieking as they flew through the floating mountains and avoided _Toruk's_ presence. One _Ikran_ was flailing in the sky until I looked closer to see that they were actually dictated moves. I smiled and turned _Toruk_, nearing the male that had leveled out his _Ikran_. A few others were in the midst of their first flights as well, and _Toruk_ screeched his cry as we passed.

Shocked gazes turned toward us, only for smiles to spread across their faces as their fists pumped in the air and they raised their battle cries. "_Toruk Makto!"_ they yelled as I instructed _Toruk_ to fly closer. He did, brushing by the startled _Ikran_ that were no doubt being told they had nothing to fear. With a glance back, I nodded my head, and the three warriors followed. Two flanked my sides and as the other flew behind. For a few minutes, they kept up, but as I urged _Toruk_ faster, they fell behind, calling after me as _Toruk_ swept higher and higher through the mountains.

It was pleasant as we flew; the wind felt good on my skin and even though I flew with Tommy all the time, this was different. This was _Toruk_, bigger than the gunship that Trudy had piloted. He was the baddest cat in the sky, and could fly faster than most aerial animals on Pandora.

Night fell quickly, and I reluctantly turned _Toruk_ back toward the village. He gave a cry of disappointment but obeyed my command and banked to the right. The sun painted the sky a brilliant shade of pink and orange before taking on a midnight blue that darkened the land below. I could see bits of the forest's light from above, and I knew that I would remember this long after _Toruk_ had gone. I patted his neck. _You'll be missed, my friend. Thank you for helping me save my people._ My fingers brushed over _Toruk's_ neck, and he gave a small screech. I smiled as his thoughts mixed with mine.

Darkness covered the sky by the time _Toruk_ had taken me back to the village. His heavy wings beat through the air, helping him to land. I jumped off of his back, the sight of Neytiri distracting me from releasing _Tsahaylu_. She had been waiting for me. Her hand grazed my arm, and I smiled.

My eyes searched _Toruk's_, and again, I patted his neck. _Go._ For a moment after our minds had once again become separate, it seemed that _Toruk_ wasn't going to obey my command. Finally, he turned, a loud cry blasting through his throat to coat the night covered forests. Then, he took off, disappearing into the darkness.

Neytiri and I watched him go, even though we couldn't see him anymore. Neytiri's hand was warm on my shoulder, and I turned to her, noticing the slight mischievous light in her eyes. She grabbed my hand, a wide smile splitting her face. "Come," she urged, pulling me deeper into the forest and away from the village.

I laughed. "Neytiri…" Her head whipped back, her smile even larger as she registered my use of English.

"You remembered?" she asked, suddenly stopping by one of the lakes we had swam in when I had been learning the Omaticayan ways. It was a deeper part of the forest, and a small waterfall trickled over part of the higher land. No one ever came here. Even though the Na'vi were known for their expertise on the layout of Pandora, this was Neytiri's place.

I cupped her face. "Of course I remember. Couldn't get it out of the back of my mind," I laughed. Her hand closed over mine, and she leaned into the pressure on her face.

"_Toruk_ reminded me of so long ago. Of the Great Sorrow and everything before."

"You know it's still always you." I stared at her intensely, looking into her eyes, knowing what she wanted and what I wanted. I felt her body tense under my hand. She knew the look I was giving her.

We made love just like we had the night of my acceptance. I wasn't sure how it seemed better, full of more passion than ever before, but it was. Time was a blur as we continued to be in each other's arms, but eventually sleep claimed us. It was a nice night, made even better with Neytiri sleeping next to me.

I never realized how nice it was to wake up in my own body. It was light out, but Neytiri still slept, and I was reminded of the morning that led to everything spinning out of control five years ago. There was nothing but silence, and still, I marveled in the simple pleasure of waking up without having two bodies. It had been strange for that first year, waking next to Neytiri and in my avatar body. There was no time where I was the paralyzed human I had been. I barely remembered that old life, but I was grateful to Eywa for transferring my soul into my Na'vi body.

My eyes glanced around the forest, noticing the calm and quiet even for early morning. I didn't move from Neytiri's side, but I searched my mind. I sensed Ahlay and Tommy; they were still very much alive, but there was a part of me missing, a part of me that had been special and irreplaceable. I looked over the trees, reading them from afar, and knowing it was true.

"_I'll miss you, my friend,"_ I whispered.

Movement caught my eye, and Neytiri blinked at me. Her sleepy gaze perused my face, but all trace of sleep was gone as she read what I felt inside. _"He is gone?"_

I nodded.

Her hand caressed my face. _"I'm sorry, Jake."_

"_I know_." I knew she was. She valued all life on Pandora, and had taught me that same love that she had. I watched her sit up, and I moved with her, cocking my head in confusion as a thankful light entered her eyes.

"_I am sorry he is gone, but I am thankful he chose you."_

"_Cause he saved our People?"_

She shrugged, her gaze dropping before coming back up to meet my curious eyes. _"Yes… and no."_ Her face softened, and her hands rested on my cheeks as she scooted closer to me. _"Toruk brought you back to me. Toruk allowed you to be accepted back into our clan once again. Toruk gave me the one I love, my mate for life."_

I smiled back at her. _"And he helped to bring me back to the only woman I love, _my_ mate for life."_

Her passion took me by surprise again. Love was the only thing on our minds, and I was surprise how much our passions seemed to have grown since we had become mated for life. It was something neither of us had ever experienced before.

We had a village to lead. We knew we had to get back. But village duties would just have to wait.

**A/N:** I know there isn't much to it, but I was happy writing it, and I do like the end. In case anyone missed it, if their speech is in italics than they're talking in Neytiri's native language. Thank you to anyone and everyone that will read and review this!

- wolf's paradise


End file.
